Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Flowers and Feathers

When the peach and plum trees are ready (they're not yet), they burst into flower all at once.  One day they're bare; the next, they fairly shout in pink or white.  I should have started a photo diary of the almond tree.  A few pale flowers, not more than eight or ten, appeared on its very uppermost branches.  Over days, more blossoms have opened, gradually working downward.  Now the top quarter of the tree is covered.  It's like watching a beautiful veil drift in slow motion over a bride's face.

The rain drizzled down all day yesterday.  Not enough to do much good, just enough to keep the goats damp and frizz my hair.  The poor chickens.  They are the rattiest bunch of fowl right now.  Why they lose their feathers at the worst time of year, I'll never know.  Many are running around in the cold with bare butts and/or backs.  If people get goosebumps, what do chickens get?

On those gorgeous sunny days, I worked inside with enthusiasm.  Forced indoors, I perversely did nothing but watch documentaries all day and wish I could be outside.  I wonder what the flip of the coin will bring today.

1 comment:

Kathryn said...

I could not get over the phenomenon in Ohio of the flowering trees just BURSTING overnight with glorious blossoms. I had only been used to our slowly- blossoming apricot in Southern California - similar to your almond only more sporadic. I had a friend who was born and raised there tell me that she did not like to travel away from Ohio in the spring, because "you might miss it," and then I found out what she meant.

Good luck with the coin toss!